The Motionperformance Essentials Universal Pet Dog Barrier is a very simple yet sturdy barrier. The barrier consists of 3 main large and thick poles that are vertical, two horizontal bars and a curved bar at the top.

The bars are adjustable to be moved inwards towards each other. At first glance it looks like a dog may be able to squeeze through the gaps between the barrier however this actually is only true if your car size does not match your dog size. With a little dog and a small car the bars can be fixed more closely together and with a larger dog in a large car the bars can be moved further apart and that works fine. The problem occurs if you have a big car but with a small dog. We have a cocker spaniel and with our small fiat panda it works fine however had he been in a larger car such as as a ford kuga he would easily get himself through the gaps. In this scenario adding some strong meshing to the barrier could help.

To attach the barrier into place requires you to fasten the two top straps provided around the front seat headrests, now depending on how curious and determined your dog is this can also be a problem with this barrier as there are only two attachments rather than four. It really does need those two extra at the bottom to help hold it in place because as it is very sturdy it only requires a curious nose to try and go under and up to realise they can tunnel underneath it.

It is built of a strong solid construction for a dog barrier. That being said it is also the heaviest at 1.2kg and not the easiest to stow away due to its rigid structure, this is definitely more of a permanant barrier for your car.

Pros

Sturdy

Strong construction

Suits majority of cars

Able to accommodate most breeds depending on the size of gap

Cons

A little heavy

Loose as no bottom fasteners to the barrier

If your car is large and you have a small dog the bars in the barrier will be far enough apart to let dog through.

Not easily stowed

Verdict

If you constantly travel with a dog on your back seats, this rigid and semi-permanant fixture could be the one for you. You may struggle with a 3 door car though because you may need to move your seats forward to let passengers in.

If your dog is large and you think it could get through a fabric net guard, then this will be your perfect choice.